Adesua Fi Ase Wɔ Awotwaa Mu

ARISTOTLE buu akokoaa a wɔawo no foforo amemene sɛ ɛyɛ tabula rasa, kyerɛwpon a hwee nni so. Ɛno akyi mfe mpem abien no, nnipa pii kɔɔ so buu no sɛ ɛkɔ akyiri kakraa sen saa. Oduruyɛfo bi a ofi Pennsylvania Sukuupɔn mu no kyerɛw wɔ 1895 mu sɛ: “Sɛ wɔwo akokoaa foforo a, nyansa kakraa bi na onim sen nnuadewa.” Mpanyinsɛm ne no anyɛ adwene na ɛkyerɛe sɛ akokoaa no sua biribi wɔ awotwaa no mu na onim sɛ nneɛma bi rekɔ so wɔ akyi. Mprempren nyansahu ka sɛ Aristotle ne oduruyɛfo no nyinaa adi atoro na wɔn a wɔka mpanyinsɛm no asɛm yɛ nokware.

Amemene no fi ase ketewaa, nanso sɛ enyin wie a, hwɛ sɛnea ɛyɛ nwonwa! Efi ase wɔ nyinsɛn mu dapɛn a ɛto so abiɛsa no mu sɛ nkwaadɔm nhoma ketewaa bi a wɔfrɛ no neural plate. Nkwaadɔm ho ɔdenimfo Richard M. Restak ka nea ɛdan wɔ nyinsɛn no awiei no ho asɛm kyerɛ yɛn sɛ: “Nanso ade a efi ase te sɛ nea ɛrenyɛ yiye no nyin bɛyɛ akwaa a ɛyɛ nwonwa sen biara wɔ amansan no mu.” Adeyɛ no de nkwammoa bɛyɛ 125,000 fi ase na ɛkɔ so de 250,000 ka ho simma biara. Restak de ka ho sɛ: “Awiei koraa no ne dodow bɛyɛ nkwaadɔm ɔpepepem ɔha a ɛno na amemene dwumadi ahorow nyinaa gyina so.”

Bere a amemene no renyin no, ne nkwaadɔm no toatoam. Ebedu adapɛn awotwe no, na ntoatoam yi a wɔfrɛ no synapses no reyɛ bebree na ɛnkyɛ na adu ɔpepem pii na efi akokoaa no amemene dwumadi ahorow a ɛdɔɔso no ase. Ɛyɛ saa bere yi nso—nyinsɛn no ɔsram a ɛto so abien no mu no—na “biribiara a ɛsɛ sɛ wohu wɔ nea wɔayɛ onipa koraa yi mu no . . . ayɛ awie,” sɛnea nhoma a agye din yiye A Child Is Born ka no no. Na n’akwaa nyinaa aba, na ɔnyɛ mogyatɔw bio. Akokoaa no bere a ɛsɛ sɛ onyin pɛpɛɛpɛ no afi ase. Eyi nyinaa akyi mpo no, wɔn a wotu nyinsɛn gu ka kyerɛ yɛn sɛ enni nkwa.

Akokoaa no fi ase keka ne ho bere a wadi adapɛn ason ne fã. Ebedu adapɛn 13 no na onim ade a ɛyɛ dɛ, na ɛno akyi no sɛ asikre fra awotwaa mu nsu mu a ɛma ɔmene pii. Nanso sɛ wɔde biribi a ɛnyɛ dɛ fra a, akokoaa no gyae mene ntɛm na onyinyan n’anim de kyerɛ sɛ ɔmpɛ. Ebedu adapɛn 15 ne 16 no na ɔhome, tekɔtekɔ, onum, ademene, ɔyeram, ani a wɔdannan—ne adapɛn a edi hɔ no nkonkoranna—eyinom nyinaa kɔ so. Restak se: “Akokoaa no nso te nnyigyei, hu ade, te ade dɛ, te ade hua, na onya nkate wɔ awotwaa no mu kakra.” Nanso wɔn a wotu nyinsɛn gu ma yɛn awerɛhyem sɛ ɛyɛ abɔde a nkwa nnim ara.

Akokoaa a wɔawo no foforo no kae nneɛma a na ɔwɔ mu wɔ awotwaa no mu no—sɛ nhwɛso no ne nã koma a na ɛbɔ no. Saa nnyigyei no dedaa no, nyanee no, ɔde dwudwoo ne ho, ohinhim ne ho sɛnea ɛbɔ no. Na ɛne ne daa yɔnko a ɛma ɔtee nka sɛ ɔwɔ ahotɔ ne ahobammɔ. Nhwehwɛmufo maa sɛnea etumi dwudwo obi no daa adi wɔ beae a wɔgye awo nhwehwɛmu bi mu. Mmofra a wɔde sɛnea onipa koma bɔ sii wɔn ho no ansu pii na wɔyɛɛ yiye sen wɔn a wɔamfa ansi wɔn ho no. Nea ɛyɛ anigye ne sɛ, “sɛ awotwaa mu nnyigyei ne nnyigyei afoforo te sɛ nea ɛkɔ so wɔ awotwaa mu no nkutoo a, na edwudwo (nkokoaa a wosu).”

Ɛnyɛ sɛ na akokoaa no amemene nim nneyɛe a ɛkɔ so wɔ awotwaa mu no nko, na mmom ɛhyɛ nneɛma a ɛkɔ so wɔ akyi no nsow na ɛkae. Oduruyɛfo Thomas Verny se: “Vivaldi dwom yɛ nnwom a akokoaa a wɔnwoo no no pɛ no mu biako. Mozart de nso ka ho. Oduruyɛfo Clements bɔ amanneɛ sɛ, bere biara a wɔbɛbɔ nnwom a ɛyɛ bɔkɔɔ no mu bi no, akokoaa no koma bɔɔ brɛoo na ɔnkeka ne ho. . . . Nanso rock ahorow nyinaa gyee nkokoaa no mu pii adwene.”

Oduruyɛfo Anthony DeCasper, adwene ne nneyɛe ho ɔdenimfo a ɔwɔ North Carolina Sukuupɔn mu no yɛɛ ade bi a wotumi num ano a ɛnyɛ aduan na wɔde hwɛ ahoɔden a akokoaa tumi de few ade. Ɛdenam sɛnea akokoaa no num a ɔsakra mu no so no, osua sɛnea ɔbɛpaw nnyigyei a ɔpɛ atie no—sɛ nhwɛso no enne ne nsɛm bi. Akokoaa bi a wadi dɔnhwerew biako anaa abien pɛ no tumi huu ne papa a bere a ɔwɔ awotwaa mu no ɔkasa kyerɛ no bɔkɔɔ no nne. Ɛnyɛ sɛ na abofra no pɛ sɛ otie saa nne no nko na mmom ɔde ne nkate gyee so na ogyaee su a na ɔte nka sɛ ɔwɔ ahobammɔ. Wɔ saa kwan no ara so no, ɔpaw sɛ obetie ne nã nne, ne afei ne koma nnyigyei a onim n’abien nyinaa fi awotwaa mu no.

Wɔ nhwehwɛmu foforo mu no, DeCasper maa apemfo 16 kenkan mmofra nhoma bi a wɔfrɛ no The Cat in the Hat no denneennen. Wɔkenkan no mprenu da biara wɔ aka adapɛn asia ne fã na wɔawo no mu. Wɔ mmofra no awo akyi bere tiaa no, wɔmaa wɔn ade a wonum no na wɔbɔɔ The Cat in the Hat ne The King, the Mice and the Cheese mu nsɛm a wɔakyere agu hama so no maa wɔn. Nkokoaa no de sɛnea wofew ade no kyerɛe sɛ The Cat in the Hat a na wɔate bere a wɔwɔ awotwaa mu no na wɔpɛ atie. Wɔfaa ɛno bere nyinaa sen sɛ wɔbɛfa The King, the Mice and the Cheese no a wɔante bere a na wɔwɔ awotwaa mu no. Mmofra a wɔadi mfe ahorow nyinaa yɛ saa ara, wɔpɛ sɛ wɔte nsɛm a wɔpɛ no bere nyinaa sen sɛ wobetie foforo.

DeCasper de baa awiei sɛ: “Ɛte sɛ nea nnyigyei a ɔtee ansa na wɔrewo no no wɔ nea n’ani gye ho sɛ obetie no so nkɛntɛnso.” Oduruyɛfo Restak a ɔbɔɔ nhwehwɛmu yi ho amanneɛ no se: “Akokoaa no sua ade wɔ awotwaa no mu, ɔte ne nã nne, mpo ne nne mu nsakrae ahorow ne nhoma pɔtee a ɔkenkan no.” Ɔde baa awiei sɛ: “Sɛ yɛbɛka no ɔkwan foforo so a, nkokoaa a wɔnwoo wɔn no tumi hu ɛnne ahorow, wosua wɔ awotwaa mu asram pii ansa na ɛho ahia wɔn ankasa anaasɛ wɔahwɛ kwan sɛ wɔde bedi dwuma.”

Akokoaa no asua nneɛma pii wɔ awotwaa no mu. Ɔwɔ nea obetumi de asua ade. Nea yɛadi kan aka yi nyinaa kyerɛ sɛ wɔ awotwaa mu mpo no, amemene no yɛ nwonwa. Enya ne nkwaadɔm nyinaa bere a ɛwom no. Sɛnea nkwaadɔm ho adenimfo kyerɛ no “akokoaa a wɔawo no foforo amemene wɔ nkwaadɔm a ebetumi abom adi dwuma pii sen nea obenya wɔ bere biara mu bio.” Eii bere a wonyinsɛn nkwa foforo a ɛwɔ awotwaa mu yi no, ɛde asram awotwe anya nkwaadɔm ɔpepepem pii yi na ayɛ nea ɛkeka bom ɔpepepem bebree na etumi ma ahokeka, ahome, onum, ademene, sɛnea wohu ade dɛ, dwonsɔ, asɛm tie, adehu, adesua ne kae a wɔkae biribi no ayɛ yiye. Dɛn nti na onipa a onim nyansa bɛka sɛ abɔde yi nni nkwa?

Nyansahufo bebree ne nnipa ɔpepem pii fi ntease pa mu gye di sɛ nkwa fi ase wɔ awotwaa mu wɔ nyinsɛn mu. Ɔbenfo Restak ka wɔ ne nhoma The Mind no mu sɛ: “Ɛda adi sɛ yɛn nokware mfiase ne adeyɛ a ehia sen biara wɔ yɛn asetra mu ne bere a wonyinsɛn yɛn no. Chinafo gye eyi tom denam mfe a obi adi a wobu fi saa bere no so; wobu akokoaa a wɔawo no foforo sɛ wadi afe.”

Ɛnnɛ, nnipa pii pɛ sɛ wogye di sɛ sɛ wɔnwoo akokoaa a, wommu no sɛ ɔwɔ nkwa, ɔyɛ onipa, nanso Onyankopɔn Asɛm mpene so. Sɛ wofi wɔn pɛ mu yi akokoaa no gu a, Onyankopɔn mmara ne sɛ: ‘Nkwa nsi nkwa ananmu.’ Exodus 21:22, 23 hyɛ eyi mu den: “Na sɛ mmarima reko na wɔkɔpem onyinsɛnfo, na ɔba no fi, na bɔne bi amma akyiri a, ogye na wonnye no nea ɔbea no kunu de bɛto no so no, na ɔmma sɛnea asɛntwamfo no bɛkyerɛ. Na sɛ bɔne bi ba akyiri a, ɛnde ma ɔkra nsi ɔkra ananmu [anaasɛ, “nkwa nsi nkwa ananmu,” King James Version].”

Bere a akokoaa no da so wɔ awotwaa mu no, Yehowa bu no sɛ onipa a ɔwɔ nkwa. Ne dwumadi wɔ awotwaa mu no ma saa a ɔyɛ no da adi pefee. Mprempren nyansahu nim sɛ ebedu ɔsram a ɛto so abien mu no, na n’akwaa nyinaa aba na ɛreyɛ adwuma, ne sɛ ɔte ade nka, osua ade na ɔkae. Nokwarem no akokoaa a wɔawo no foforo no amemene nyɛ ‘kyerɛwpon a hwee nni so’ sɛnea Aristotle kae no, anaasɛ ɛnyɛ nokware sɛ akokoaa no ‘nim ade kakraa sen nnuadewa ara kwa’ sɛnea sukuupɔn mu ɔbenfo no kae no. Ɔwɔ nkwaadɔm a obenya nyinaa, na ayɛ krado sɛ ebehu nneɛma afoforo, na atie na ate nnyigyei a atwa ne ho ahyia mprempren no. Ayɛ krado sɛ ɛbɛkɔ! Anaasɛ ɛnte saa?

Ɛnã no betumi ayɛ pii ama akokoaa a ɔda n’awotwaa mu no yiyedi, anaasɛ obetumi apira no. Ne nsusuwii betumi anya no so nkɛntɛnso pa anaasɛ bɔne. Ɛnyɛ sɛ akokoaa no bedwen ɛnã no adwene; na mmom nneɛma a osusuw ho no kanyan nkate, na nkate a saa nsusuwii no kanyan no nya akokoaa no so nkɛntɛnso, ebetumi ayɛ akomatɔyam, asomdwoe, ne kommyɛ anaasɛ adwennwene, ehu ne abufuw. Nea ennye koraa no akokoaa no betumi anya nyarewa afi ɛnã no ho wɔ kotoku a ɔda mu no mu. Obetumi de yare a wonya fi ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna mu a ebi ne AIDS mpo, asan no. Ɛnãnom a sɛ wɔyem a wɔnom tawa, wii, nsa a ano yɛ den, morphine, kokaine, heroin, ne nnuru afoforo betumi awo mmofra a nnubɔne anya wɔn so nkɛntɛnso, wɔn adwene abrɛ ase, wɔn amemene asɛe, wɔadi dɛm, wɔn fãfã awu, wotwa ne amanehunu afoforo a efi mu ba.

Akokoaa a ɔda awotwaa mu no nyɛ obi a wiase no mu hwee nka no te sɛnea nnipa pii susuwii bere bi a atwam no. Bere a ɔwɔ awotwaa no mu no, wobetumi afi ɔdɔ mu ahwɛ no yiye anaasɛ wɔayɛ no ayayade. Sɛ ofi awotwaa no mu a, wɔbɛyɛ no dɛn? N’adesua fii ase wɔ awotwaa no mu, nanso sɛ ɔba wiase yi mu a, n’adesua mu osuahu ahorow bɛyɛ dɛn? Yɛn anidaso ne sɛ awofo a wɔaware wɔ anigye ne ɔdɔ mu no bɛma saa osuahu ahorow no ayɛ nea eye.

[Asɛm a wɔafa aka wɔ kratafa 25]

“Akwaa a ɛyɛ nwonwa sen biara wɔ amansan a wonim yi mu”

[Asɛm a wɔafa aka wɔ kratafa 25]

Adapɛn awotwe no, na n’akwaa nyinaa aba

[Asɛm a wɔafa aka wɔ kratafa 25]

Ɛyɛ dɛn na onipa a onim nyansa biara ka sɛ abɔde yi nni nkwa?

[Asɛm a wɔafa aka wɔ kratafa 28]

Nyansahufo pii gye di sɛ nkwa fi ase wɔ nyinsɛn mu.

[Kratafa 27 mfonini]

Ebedi adapɛn awotwe no na no tenten yɛ sɛntimita 4, a n’akwaa nyinaa aba

[Asɛm Fibea]

Photo: Lennart Nilsson for A Child Is Born - 1976 ed./Dell Publishing Co. (also page 2)